Marcus Falerius Fronto is a legate in Julius Caesar’s army, commanding the Tenth Legion from the opening campaigns of the Gallic Wars in 58 BC. He is a soldier through and through — competent, loyal to his men, and deeply uncomfortable with politics. This puts him on a collision course with Caesar, whose military genius is matched only by his political ambition.
Over the course of seventeen books, Fronto fights across Gaul, Britain, Egypt, Spain, and finally Rome itself. He ages, accumulates scars both physical and emotional, and watches the Roman Republic tear itself apart from inside the army that is doing the tearing. His loyalty to Caesar is genuine but tested repeatedly as the gap between military duty and political reality grows wider with each campaign.
Fronto is the reader’s way into a world shaped by Caesar’s commentaries — the famous general told his version of events, but Turney gives the soldiers who fought those campaigns a voice of their own.
Reading Order
See the complete Marius’ Mules reading order for all books in the series.